


The Flower Girl

by TalentedLoser



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Language of Flowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2018-08-13 08:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7969789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalentedLoser/pseuds/TalentedLoser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 13 part story of two people who maybe should not have met, given their differing positions (seriously, a flower girl and businessman?). </p><p>But one would be thankful for having the flower shop; the other would be thankful for needing flowers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 0: Introduction

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  _As I wander'd the forest,_   
> 
> 
>   
>  _The green leaves among,_   
> 
> 
>   
>  _I heard a wild flower_   
> 
> 
>   
>  _Singing a song._   
> 

Meet Kagome Higurashi. 

If someone were to ask her, “Hey, Kagome, why in the world did you want to be a florist?” She wouldn’t have a concise answer. Maybe she wanted to become a florist after her late father got her into gardening at such a young age, and she thought the colorful flowers were so gorgeous when they bloomed—finally. Or maybe it was when she started making bouquets around the house with her flowers, and cheered her mother up when a new bouquet would show up on their dinner table. Perhaps it was the fact she just loved being around flowers, and kept that small garden of hers when she was a child—okay, so maybe that garden grew five times over since she was a little girl, but she couldn’t help it! She simply loved the little plants. 

So when she was finally done with school, both high school and college, she knew what she wanted to do with that business management degree of hers. It took some work (a lot of it), and some patience (she lost count on how many headaches she had), but when the place was spruced up and hers to own, she knew she made the right choice. And when she looked up at her small shop on a not-so-busy intersection of town and read the sign (“Kabloom”, thanks to her younger brother), she was excited. She would always be excited to go to her shop, no matter the kind of day or night. Crummy day? Instantly better when she walked through those doors and smelled her flowers.

Of course, some days at the shop were better than others. Some orders she would rather never want to fulfill—the death of a loved one is never a good order to complete—but others… Now those are the ones she loved the most. And, being in a sort of small neighborhood, she had gotten to know some of the locals. Most of them were older, so their anniversary bouquets were the ones she looked forward to completing. And she would spend hours and hours on those bouquets. She wanted her customers to know she was in love with their special moment (or wanted to show her care and affection on those not-so-good days), and wanted to see their love the moment they laid eyes on her design, no matter who showed up through her door. 

And when the bell would ring above her door, she would smile, no matter who it was.

No matter.

**-x-**

Meet Sesshomaru.

No one had ever asked him, “Sesshomaru, why did you become a businessman?” He wouldn’t be able to tell you why anyhow. Perhaps it was his father’s expectations of him when he was a child, since his father is a powerful CEO himself. Maybe it was the classes he took in secondary school that would get him interested in doing the trivial, but powerful moves in the business world. Or maybe it was the thought he needed to be better than his brother in everything possible. Any of those reasons were reasons good enough to become a businessman—and that’s what he became. 

He was the typical businessman—he found a job straight out of college (thanks to his family), settled with a steady income of six digits, worked his way to almost the top of the business—happened to get his own secretary along the way—and hasn’t been with another company since his graduation. His line of work isn’t something publicly known. He works with numbers, dates, meetings, and all the other boring and trivial stuff people don’t really care to know how it works. And he is okay with not talking about it at all. Really. If someone is happy with his work, he doesn’t seem to mind. If they aren’t happy, it doesn’t change him as a businessman. What matters is the deals he makes, the numbers he crunches, and the time that’s sometimes sadly wasted. 

The world he lived in was full of skyscrapers. He didn’t need to do any work when he got there—they were already placed in the world. So what was he exactly doing in a neighborhood not full of skyscrapers? He wouldn’t be able to recall. His mind was clouded with dates, numbers, facts, meetings he barely listened in on because he was worried about more meetings, more numbers, more dates… How he got there wasn’t important. What mattered was he saw another part of the town, a little corner of the world unaffected by the big skyscrapers, by the big numbers, dates, meetings, everything. It was a small slice of the world he somehow stumbled upon, and for once, it was—the best he could describe it was “okay.” 

And when he heard the bell above him ring for the first time, it was somehow all okay.

Somehow.


	2. Part 1: Centerpieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was an idiot for not ordering the centerpieces for his corporate party. Luckily for him, his secretary knew of a small shop in a small town of who-knew-where.

It was simply him being forgetful.

It did not help he was swamped some months ago when the planning into the corporate party started, but Sesshomaru realized a few months too late his party would be without centerpieces. How could he forget such a simple thing (and really, who would notice the lack of centerpieces)? He made sure to tell his secretary to order everything else: catering, music, and even the alcohol. But flowers? Seriously: such a simple thing. 

So there he was, sitting at a stoplight in the small town of who-knew-where, waiting for the light to turn green so he could turn on some random street in some random town for a random flower shop in hopes they could fulfill his random order of random centerpieces. Sesshomaru hummed in frustration, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. He thought about how absurd the light took to turn—the light turned green, and his foot went to the gas pedal. 

He wouldn’t be able to tell you all what happened on the trip to the flower shop. Maybe there was an elderly person who walked down the street and wondered why such a car was in their small town. Maybe there was a dog which barked for no reason other than to pass the time. Perhaps there were kids outside enjoying the weather. Or, maybe, he thought about why he did not order the stupid centerpieces for the stupid party three stupid months ago when he placed the stupid order in the first place.  _ Stupid,  _ he thought, as his navigation told him to turn right. So he did. 

Luckily, it was not a long drive to the flower shop. The small town was close enough for a quick ten or fifteen minute cruise through, and—okay, so the town was not all that bad. He did admire the little shops he did not get to see in the city. It felt as though the people in the town cared for their little home. Still, it was not a long drive to the shop, for which he was grateful. He still had meetings to attend later in the evening, including a phone call to his usual florist, insisting they never tell him he cannot do a rush order of twenty, maybe thirty centerpieces. It was not an odd request, nor was it a hard one; it could get done. At least, he hoped the little flower shop on the corner could do such a thing. Where else could he go? An online store? Preposterous. 

When he parked in front of the store, he wondered where the traffic was. It seemed—quiet. Sure, there were people walking around with their families, or by themselves window shopping, but otherwise, there was no traffic to be seen. Some of the shops were closed for good, and others were closed for lunch. He looked into the window of the flower shop. A large artistic mural covered it, with colorful flowers and scenery to be had. Stepping out into the quiet intersection, he noticed the name of the store. Where did his secretary find this shop? And why was he the one tasked to do this? (“You are going because you forgot to place the order. This mistake is on you, not me. Now go.”)

He read the sign:  _ Kabloom _ . It looked rather new, judging from the lack of wear and tear on the sign itself. A horrid name, he thought, but if his secretary thought it was a good shop, then he could not quite judge the place (well, he could, but he would at least try to refrain from such a thing). Surrounding the shop were flower pots, and in them were little daisies just starting to bloom. An ‘OPEN!’ sign welcomed him in, and so did the aroma of flowers as the bell rung above him. It was a little overpowering for him at first. 

“Welcome!” shouted a voice. He scanned the shop—there was no one to be seen. It was just a sea of flowers. Daisies, daffodils, baby’s breaths, tulips… was there a flower that was not there? For such a small outside, he did not think so many flowers could fill the space. Sesshomaru took a few steps in before hearing someone near the back. A box or two (or maybe more) fell, which prompted a typical response: a groan. “Not again!” the voice said. He tilted his head around a display of flowers, and he saw a head turning away from him, dark hair tied in a ponytail. So, a young owner, too. He probably should’ve guessed from the sign and the name of the shop. 

He made his way toward the back. “I am looking for some assistance,” he said. A good start. 

-x-

Kagome, on the other hand, had been tucking away little knick knacks to sell in the store. Vases, flower food, those stones with inspirational messages to put next to the flowers in the garden—hey, she was at least trying to make a living. Not that times were tough, oh no, but she at least wanted to try. She was lost in her thoughts (don’t ask her what they were about, because she would not be able to even imagine) when she swore she heard the bell ring near the front door. Wait, did it ring? Either way, she yelled her usual “Welcome!” and continued to stack her boxes. She looked down at one near her feet—the last box.

_ If I just slowly bend over… _ she thought, as she put her hand against the other boxes that towered over her. In her mind, it was a great idea.  _ Yes, Kagome, let’s hold up a few boxes of vases and other fragile things with just one hand while you try to get one more box on top of an already wobbly tower.  _ Of course, nothing ever works the way you want, and she felt the boxes start to fall. She didn’t even try to catch them; she could already hear the shattering of the vases as they fell. “Not again!” She cried. 

Oh yes, she thought:  _ again _ . 

She looked down at the boxes defeated when she heard a voice call from behind: “I am looking for some assistance,” it said. She blinked at what were probably broken pieces of glass in a box—a man? Not that it was ever out of the ordinary for her, but on a weekday in the morning, it was a little bizarre. She turned toward her flowers to see something silver peek from above them. Silver hair? An older man, maybe? That would make more sense, she thought, as the younger crowd would (or should) be working. But when the man appeared from behind the flowers and approached her counter, she soon learned she was dead wrong. 

_ Whoa!  _ She thought. Who was he? She had never seen him around the town before—and trust her, she had seen pretty much everyone in the town. It was that small enough (she was humble enough to say “pretty much everyone,” but she was very confident that she at least knew about everyone). He was wearing what looked to be a very expensive suit, complete with the tie and shined shoes. He must’ve worked in the city, but—why was he there? 

“I need centerpieces,” he answered. 

Well, she thought, that was easy enough.  _ Let my brain do the talking.  _

(Meanwhile, Sesshomaru looked down at the woman behind the counter. There was nothing spectacular about her: her hair looked messy in the ponytail; she wore a green apron full of what looked to be dirt from the flowers; her clothing underneath seemed old and ragged; and she had a plain face. He did not mean to sound so rude in his head, but it was the truth. She was small, almost as tall as his secretary, but not as toned or defined. She was—she just was, according to Sesshomaru. And he wanted to get this over with as fast as possible.)

Kagome smiled. “Well, it’s your lucky day,” she said, “because I can help you with those!”  _ Thank god,  _ he thought. He watched as she took out a pad of paper and pen, and, leaning against the counter, she looked up at him. “When do you need them by?”

“Next week,” he said. She nodded and wrote down the date. A week from that day, he noted. God, he was beating himself up for not ordering them months ago. Kagome hummed, then looked back up at Sesshomaru. Luckily, she had no prior appointments or arrangements to make, so creating the centerpieces would be fine. 

“Okay, and how many do you need?” She asked. It was his turn to hum, and she waited for his answer. And, in fact, he said it in such a calm manner. 

“At most, thirty,” he replied.

She waited a few seconds to make sure he wasn’t joking. Judging by his expression, he wasn’t. She wanted her eyes to bug out at that moment.

“THIRTY?” Kagome shouted. Thirty centerpieces! What, was he planning his wedding? Did he happen to just see this store driving into work and think,  _ Yes, this little flower shop in the middle of nowhere would be perfect to do thirty centerpieces in a short amount of time _ ? She looked back at her little pad and thought about the task. How many hours would she need to stay after to get that done? Would her and her employee be able to even get ten done? Would she even have enough flowers?

“That is what I said, yes,” Sesshomaru broke her thoughts. 

She looked back up, and she hoped he could see how dire the situation was (he didn’t). 

Kagome hung her head and sighed. She had never turned down an arrangement, no matter who came through those doors. And, as much as she wanted to politely decline such a grandiose task, she wrote “30” next to the number of items requested. Somehow, her mouth moved to ask for the address where the centerpieces would go (“Is that your office building?” “It will be held there, yes.”), where they would go (“On the tables, of course.” “Yes, but any particular tables?” “Just the tables which need flowers.”), what flowers they would be (“I’m thinking calla lilies and lily of the valleys. Would those work?” “They would.”), and how much the arrangement fully cost (“That’ll be fine.”). 

And that was that. 

-x-

Well, actually, that was not that. There was, of course, the name the order had to be under. 

“My name?” Sesshomaru asked. 

Kagome stared at him. “Well, it would be best to know who this is for.” Not that anyone else would possibly ask her to make thirty more centerpieces in such a short span of time in the next decade, but she shook in fear at the thought of it happening. With her luck, it would. 

So he obliged. “It’s Sesshomaru,” he replied. 

Kagome nodded. “Okay, Sesshomaru,” she scribbled his name on the pad (he glimpsed to find it spelled correctly, surprisingly). Her eyes met his. “You will have your,” she grimaced, “ _ thirty _ centerpieces next week delivered.” As soon as those words left her mouth, she thought about how she would even dream of delivering thirty centerpieces.  _ Kouga owes me, and this is it,  _ she thought. “Anything else?”

Sesshomaru shook his head. “That will be all,” he said. He would be lying if he said he were not thankful to finally be leaving the store. “If I need more centerpieces,” and Kagome swore she felt some tears form at the corners of her eyes from those words, “who shall I call?”

Kagome beamed. He thought her smile matched the store itself.  _ Interesting. _ “That’d be me! I’m Kagome,” she excitedly said. 

Sesshomaru nodded. “Then, Kagome, I trust I will see you next week.” 

He held out his hand. It was a business transaction, after all. 

Kagome, on the other hand, was not used to such a thing. Most of her customers just thanked her, gave her a smile, and went on their way. He really was from the city, she noted. 

So she held out hers, and shook his. 

(The little bell above her door would ring, and she was left to think about the thirty centerpieces by herself. 

He would think about his latest transaction, and the certain aroma of a flower shop. 

And that, they both thought, was that.)

-x-

The centerpieces arrived on time. Sesshomaru would not tell you about how he saw Kagome unload them one-by-one by herself, carrying each to every table, until all tables had a centerpiece on them. He would not tell you how she fixed each centerpiece as soon as she put it on those tables. He would not say he went over to try and help, but she stuttered about how they needed to look. He would not tell a soul about how, when he first tried to help, the slightest touch of their hands made him think about her throughout the long, exhausting night. 

He would not say it, but it happened.

The corporate party went on without a hitch. Few complimented the decor, and fewer the centerpieces, but when they would, Sesshomaru would not tell about the small shop in the small town of who-knew-where. He would not think about how the calla lilies and lily of the valleys did indeed match the vibe of the party. He would not say he watched the small flower girl leave before the party began, telling him to enjoy it, and him nodding, a slight thank-you stuck on his tongue. 

He would not say it, but it happened.

And, for that, he was content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life got slightly busy. I'm still in love with this story. 
> 
> Until next time.


	3. Part 2: Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru knew he would not forget such a special birthday. But he knew nothing about flowers, and what looked good for a bouquet. Luckily, he knew of a perfect shop.

A small notification popped up on his computer while he was on the phone. As he listened to the other person on the line, he moved his mouse to dismiss the message. He would not be as silly as forgetting this occasion (he still heard the chuckling from his secretary).

Sesshomaru turned his chair to face the city, phone in hand.

-x-

It was a Thursday. She knew it was a Thursday because it was always the slowest day of the week. Did no one seriously have any anniversaries or birthdays on Thursdays? _Because it sure does seem like it_ , Kagome thought, rearranging the flowers around the store for the—fourth time? Fifth? She lost count after the second time around. Seriously, how many times would she have to rearrange the roses and azaleas before someone would actually walk through the door? She would be happy to do such a thing, except her fingers would appreciate it if it didn’t get pricked seven— _eight,_ she winced—more times because the ticking of the clock seemed to be slower and—

Just then, she heard the little bell ring. She almost jolted at the sound. Actually, she did, and she was fumbling with a vase when she shouted, “Welcome!” Luckily, the blue vase did not go crashing into the tiled floor ( _phew_ , she thought), and the flowers did not lose that many petals from the almost totally Kagome-made disaster. She bent down to the floor and began to sweep the petals in her hand. “I’ll be there in a moment!” She shouted again. Kagome did not hear a response, and she quickly crept toward the trash bin by her register before standing erect to look for her customer. They were not hard to find. She blinked at the familiar face.

“Oh! Hello again,” she said, noting the silver hair by her white lilies near the far wall. As she started to walk toward him, she began to run through her list of names. _Let’s see,_ she started, _it began with an S, if I remember right. Hmm…_ She hummed through her list, knowing each one was entirely wrong. When she was right next to him, he looked down at her (and when she met his eyes, she remembered after all: _Sesshomaru!_ ).

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru had no clue he’d be back at the little flower shop. He ran through all sorts of ideas for this particular occasion: chocolate basket, candy basket, toys galore, and more. As much as he looked for the right gift, none of them seemed to have the same special flair that he remembered when he was complimented on the choice of flowers at his last party. None of those other gifts said “elegance” like the flowers quietly decorating the space in which they celebrated. No, he thought, he wanted to let this person know how much he cared for them, and since they seemed to like flowers so much, he thought a bouquet would fit them perfectly.

So there he was, on a slow Thursday, in a slow week, in a somewhat slow month, going through a slow town to a slow flower shop—okay, it was not all slow. But, if he had to compare it to the much larger, grandiose city and lifestyle he was used to, he would definitely describe it as a slow snail crawl. Still, the small town had a little charm to it, and he certainly didn’t mind it every now and then.

When he looked at Kagome by the lilies, that was what Sesshomaru thought about.

“So,” she chirped up. Her voice tended to be higher when she started to talk, he noted. “Lilies again?”

He frowned. All the flowers on the wall seemed to intimidate him, and just looking at all the lilies made him second guess on why he was there in the first place. He hardly had the slightest clue of what to get them. “I am not sure,” he said.

Kagome looked at the wall of lilies and started to think. “Hmm,” she hummed, “Well, what are you buying for?”

“A birthday,” he quickly responded. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He didn’t seem like the type to celebrate birthdays too much. A party animal at night? Hardly seemed the case. Plus, he was buying flowers for someone. Maybe for a special someone? _Well, no good trying to guess here, Kagome,_ she thought. So, Kagome cleared her throat.

“Hmm, okay. May I ask who it is for?”

It was Sesshomaru’s turn to look at Kagome. Only few people knew about them in his life, but he figured it would be imperative for the flower girl to know so she could create the best bouquet for them. “It is for Rin,” he said to her. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. _So it is for someone special?_ Judging from the softness in his eyes, she would guess so, but she wasn’t entirely sure. She waited for him to speak up, which he did (surprisingly, she thought). “My corporation is part of a program to spend time with children when you can.”

Kagome slightly tilted her head. “Like Big Brothers?”

Sesshomaru blinked, then nodded. “A good comparison, yes. We have been a part of it for many years, and during that time, I had not had the time to connect with any child in it. Most of my company have been with the same child for over a decade, and some have seen theirs graduate and be successful in life. When I finally had time a few years ago to pair with a child, the program did not have many males that would be suitable with my personality. They sent a file over one day, and explained how they would understand if I were uncomfortable taking a girl.”

Sesshomaru paused. He remembered reading the file. She was orphaned at a young age, as her parents had died in an accident years ago. She was now with a decent foster family—albeit a struggling one. She had a very wide, toothy smile for a girl her age. She had been with the program since being with the foster family, which had been over five years, and no one stayed with the girl for more than a few months at a time. Their reasons for not being there for her varied, but most stated she was not respondent enough to their activities, or to what they said. And when he looked through the conversations these people would have with her, he wondered if the girl was actually trouble, or if those around her simply wanted—something more. Something _better,_ which made him frown; it was a realistic answer.

He then looked at Kagome and said, “I replied that it would be an honor to spend time with her. I have not regretted that decision since.” She was a little stunned. He did not seem like the type to do something of that sort, and yet, here they were, talking about flowers for a little girl he took under his wing. He was a mystery. At any rate, Kagome thought about the flowers in her little shop, wondering what kind of flowers a little girl would have a taste for. She took out any flowers with no color, and any that could harm her, too— _Damn roses,_ she cried.

“Well,” she started, “I don't think lilies would be the best pick again. Maybe save those for another party of yours.”

“I would hope I have no more in the near future,” he remarked, and she gave a little chuckle. A man like him, without a party of that nature again? It seemed highly improbable—and she would be right; Sesshomaru was just forgetting such a party was on the horizon (thankfully, his secretary was on the flowers already). She stared at the plain lilies on the wall, then turned to scan the rest of her store. Sesshomaru just stared at her, wondering what she was even doing in the first place. Had she not remembered what flowers she had in the store? It was not like it was a big—

Suddenly, she gasped, and darted off. Sesshomaru barely had time to react when she was nearly across the store, plucking flowers from everywhere. He watched her diligently work and arrange flowers while she moved, whispering something about colors and making sure they looked good. He did not know the types of flowers she had in her hands; all he knew was they were a light red and gold. He did notice some sprigs of baby's breath, though. And he only knew that because of a co-worker back at the office making some remark on a few in a vase in the lobby, and he happened to know which vase he was talking about.

Kagome went back behind the counter, her back to Sesshomaru. While he was tall, he could not see what she was doing. It only took her a few minutes, but she spun around with a big smile on her face. “Ta-da!” Kagome shouted. In a pale pink vase was a colorful, extravagant bouquet of flowers. He was amazed, to say the least. He was expecting to stay at the store for a much longer time. He admired her work ethic. She placed the vase on the counter— _clink—_ and pointed to the flowers. “This type is a carnation,” pointing to the light red flowers, “and this one a chrysanthemum,” then pointing to the golden flowers. Kagome looked back up at Sesshomaru, who looked back at her. “I think she will like these!”

He thought so, too.

-x-

Sesshomaru held out his wallet. Kagome held out her hands and shook her head. “This one's on the house.”

“I insist—”

“ _I_ insist that you take this bouquet to her and see the biggest smile on her face,” Kagome quickly interrupted. It was a slow day, anyway, and she wasn't going to possibly see the day have a profit. It was only one bouquet; it would not harm her business in any way. Sesshomaru, yes, felt uncomfortable at the request of not paying for the flowers whatsoever, but he did not argue with the woman behind the counter. She seemed determined, and he would rather back down from a determined woman (he learned his lesson after upsetting the wrong secretary once before).

So she passed the colorful bouquet over the counter. He gracefully accepted, his hand grazing over her own. Kagome still had a smile on her face, and Sesshomaru held the bouquet to his chest. She leaned on the counter. “I hope she likes them!”

For once, Sesshomaru did not know what to say. This woman was interesting—and that was all he could think. And all he could do after that was nod and quietly say: “I hope so, too.”

The little bell rang, and the slow Thursday marched on.

-x-

_Knock, knock._

Little footsteps were heard behind the door, and then a little girl appeared, with her wide, toothy smile beaming. She was wearing a little birthday hat, and even Sesshomaru could not possibly deny that she looked somewhat cute.

“Mr. Sesshomaru!” No matter how many times he had told her to not call him that, and instead call him by his name, she could not stop (and, truthfully, he thought it was a great nickname). A small hug later, he heard her muffle against his pants: “You didn't forget my birthday!”

He placed his hand on her head. “Of course not, Rin,” he responded. Sesshomaru began to kneel, and Rin stepped back. In front of her face was a bouquet of beautiful flowers, ones that she had never seen before in her entire life! They were so colorful, and they smelled so nice. “These are for you,” Sesshomaru said. She, of course, knew that, but she was so excited to grab the bouquet from him. He would not tell a soul, but he relished in seeing the little girl smile. He watched her stick her face in the flowers, taking in a large whiff of them, and she was glowing. He would have to thank Kagome again for her service. When did he need flowers again—

Rin happily bounced on her heels. “Oh, thank you, Mr. Sesshomaru!” Then, she grabbed his sleeve. “Want to eat some cake with us? My mom made it for me!”She was tugging and tugging, inching more and more into the home—he could not possibly deny such a request (and her parents were more than happy to have him there, save for their shock at first). So in he went, with her dragging him and the flowers along.

-x-

Before he left, he took one last look at the flowers in the vase. _“I hope she likes them!”_

He knew he would thank her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only excuse I have for not updating in about 6 months is my computer was down for nearly 2 of those months. Otherwise, I neglected this story. I still love it.
> 
> See you next time.


	4. Part 3: Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone was in the hospital, again, because of their stupidity--again. Sesshomaru knew just what to get them, and he knew exactly where to go.

His secretary knocked on his door. “Your idiot brother Inuyasha is in the hospital.”

His first thought was not one of care; Sesshomaru just smirked. He knew how to make his brother feel better.

-x-

It was a Wednesday.

She knew, because she had a customer come in to pick up some simple rose bouquets they had ordered a week prior. They had asked for only red roses. “No other color,” they demanded. So, naturally, she did what they asked. Unfortunately, the customer did not like how the thorns were still on the roses ( _Damn thorns,_ she thought) and they thought they looked like they were already dying. And while Kagome tried to explain how they were kept fresh for them, but the customer refused to listen. She chalked up the loss and offered the flowers for free. The customer immediately lit up, took the flowers, thanked her, and left. The whole ordeal did not allow her to start the day right or feel good about her flowers, to say the least.

It was just after 11 and she was already exhausted.

Every day there was a new (or old) customer coming through her doors. The bell would ring, her interest would pique at the sound, but for some reason, she would be a little disappointed. Of course, Kagome would take any order the person requested. She would write down their name, write down the number of flowers and when they would need it by, and she would do so with a smile on her face. Sometimes, they engaged in small talk with her. It depended on their demeanor. Some chatted her ear off about their order and why they were surprising their significant other; some stood in somber silence and reflected why their significant other loved that type of flower.

Most loved her bouquets. She needed to remember that.

Kagome kept those little notes in her head about those people in case they ever came back (and most did, since there were no other close floral shops nearby). She always thanked them for their business and would picture their order in her head. Most transactions were good and left her feeling satisfied with her work. There were the few, though, who don’t. She would shrug it off and continue with her work.

But without fail she would always look to the door, good days and bad, and wonder if she would see him again (it wasn’t as if she remembered the last time he was in; she just kept tabs on all of her customers and made sure to try to track their schedule. He, apparently, had no schedule). Perhaps he would have that little girl he talked about, or he just needed a bouquet of flowers for…whatever reason. _Not that he would need a **good** reason, _ she selfishly thought. Still, he was the only one to have random requests for the bouquets. It was different, to say the least.

Just as she was putting the flowers out for display, the bell rang above the door.

(Sesshomaru, meanwhile, drove to her store and thought about Kagome and her silly store in the silly town of whatever silly name it was in. He was going back to the flower shop just to embarrass his brother, that was all—that’s what he told himself. Yes, he would thank her for the bouquets, but he knew this would be one of the last, if not the last, trip he would make. He did not need any more flowers. He did not.)

She peeked over the flowers in front of her and saw silver. She felt her heart slightly beat and a smile came over her face once she saw who it was. Of course, she was just excited that he came back because it meant he was now a regular. That’s all. Kagome shouted her welcome into the store.

“Welcome back, Sesshomaru!” She felt slightly self-conscious about her actions. (Again: it was already a good day.) Why would she shout such a thing? What if he thought she was weird or awkward for remembering his name? It was normal to remember their names! She only had a handful of regulars come and go, so he would surely understand that she knew his name, right?

_Right?_

He stood near her display of flowers (Sesshomaru wondered what they were—lilies?) as she still smiled up at him. “What’s today’s order?”

The next few words out of his mouth shocked her a bit. “It is for my brother.”

“Brother?” _Duh, Kagome, he would probably have a family, too! A guy like this, alone? As if!_ Then again, she did not get too many orders for brothers.

Sesshomaru shrugged. “Half-brother, really. I need something very colorful.” Half-brother? She could not remember a time when she made a bouquet for a half-sibling of any kind. _They must be close_ , she thought.

Kagome hummed, tapping her chin while ideas popped into her head. “Hmm, okay. Any kind of flower?”

He did not miss a beat. “Any will work.”

She looked up at him. He was very serious on that request. It didn’t help her in the slightest; what was his brother ( _half_ -brother) like anyway? She needed a little more information from the silver-haired man in her shop before she went hunting for any kind of flower.

So she asked: “So, your half-brother…is he in the business world as well?”

Sesshomaru chuckled—scoffed? (Kagome heard a noise; it was a mix of the two.) “He is too reckless and idiotic to be in business.”

Ah.

She didn’t exactly expect those words to come out of his mouth. Did he not care for his brother?

Kagome went straight-faced. “We are not very close, save meeting up a few times a year.”

For some reason, this made Kagome a little sad about it all. They were family, right? Wouldn’t they want to meet up more times than that? What happened between the two to make them _not_ want that? Still, she asked: “Oh. Is this one of those times?”

Sesshomaru slightly shrugged at the notion. Then, in the most monotonous way possible, he said: “I suppose. He is in the hospital.”

Kagome blinked once, twice, thrice—then it clicked. _Huh?!_ “Hospital! Is he okay?” A whole whirlwind of scenarios went through her head: a car accident, stabbing, gun fight, knife fight…just who was his half-brother!?

Sesshomaru brought her back to reality quickly: “He is an idiot; he is fine.” _Oh._

He watched as she shifted uncomfortably at what she heard. He wished he could have better things to say about his half-brother, but if she had known their backstory, she would possibly agree with him—possibly. He understood why she was uncomfortable. She was probably used to good relationships, judging by how many customers might come in for their husbands or wives.

Kagome rubbed her hands—she felt slightly awkward at their relationship. After all, most of the customers who came into her shop really love the other person receiving them. This…this was new. She had to act fast. “Well, it’s nice of you to bring some flowers to him.” She tried to laugh; it probably sounded forced.

Then came the chuckle-scoff again from Sesshomaru. “He hates them.” _He just plainly says it without a second thought! It’s like he’s said this before!_ Kagome was dumbfounded; Sesshomaru was merely telling the truth. They simply stared at one another before she mumbled a plain: “O-Oh—”

Kagome mumbled a few more things (something about finding flowers and for him to “wait here, please…”) before wandering off through her small boutique. She started to rationalize Sesshomaru even being there in the first place. _He must care for his brother in some way. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care for him a little bit._ She stopped in front of a display before groaning— _even if it were for a mere joke at my flowers’ expense!_

Her hands brushed against a pale blue flower. Sesshomaru watched her in interest while she worked. She had this sort of…look in her eyes when pulling flowers to arrange. It was as if she knew exactly what she was doing (she did), and she did it with admiration (of course), no matter who the bouquet was for. It felt a little intimate—it felt as if he was invading her small bit of privacy in her own world. He turned away and watched the silly town pass by without looking into the boutique. It was not long before she was next to him again with a bouquet full of light blue and purple flowers. To put it lightly, it was stunning.

(She rubbed the back of her head, still uncomfortable. She did not have much to work on, save the few comments Sesshomaru made about his half-brother—as if they were good comments to begin with, she thought. She figured hyacinths and tulips would make a good combination. _Stupid customer earlier to make me feel like crap,_ she thought. They were not very colorful, she would admit, yet she felt if his half-brother was like Sesshomaru, he would not want or like the bright colors other flowers emitted. Plus, the flowers did not look too feminine…sort of.)

Sesshomaru looked down at the bouquet she held in her hands, and he saw the pale colors somehow pop in the dim sunlight that filled the room. He looked at her and saw her perhaps ashamed of the décor she created in mere minutes for him. She looked like she had red in her cheeks, and…was she embarrassed? She was mumbling again—something about how sorry she was if this was not what he was looking for, and how worried she was if his “half-brother did not like them”—but he did not catch most of it. All he focused on were how warm her hands were when he brushed over her fingers to grab the bouquet, and how he saw her look right at him when he did. He did not mean to say it out loud, but they fell out of his mouth as though they were the right words to say:

“If he does not like these, then he is truly a moron.”

-x-

The transaction was complete.

She stood in the middle of the store while he walked toward the door. She thanked him again for the business (“It is no trouble,” he said before, and she could hear him say it again if he had the chance). Kagome expected the bell to go off when she turned, but instead heard his voice: “Ah, before I leave,” she turned back to see his hand on the door, “I would like express my gratitude.” She slightly tilted her head. Didn’t he already thank her?

“Uh, for…?”

“The last bouquet you made. Rin liked them.” Ah, she thought. She wasn’t really expecting a thank you of any kind for it. It was quickly made, hardly anything perfect—

She looked at him; he was being serious. Kagome lit up. It was as if the customer from before was forgotten, and she was content once more about her work. She could feel her face get a little warm from the compliment. “Oh! I’m glad she loved them.”

Sesshomaru took a few moments to look at the woman before him, smiling at the recognition she received for a simple bouquet of flowers. It meant a lot to him, and to Rin. It was the least he could do. He did not know why he was suddenly drawn to her, but when he took one, two, three, four, five steps back to Kagome, he was not surprised to see her surprise at the sudden closeness they shared. He held out his hand.

“Thank you.”

There was a beat against her chest, against his chest, and then she brought her hand to his.

“You’re welcome.”

The bell rang above the door.

-x-

Sesshomaru slid open the door to the hospital room. There, in the bed, looking utterly embarrassed, was his idiot brother in a leg cast. And there, in the doorway, was Sesshomaru with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Inuyasha did not seem to be too pleased at the sight of the flowers (or perhaps Sesshomaru, but he didn’t care).

“What the hell are those?”

Sesshomaru held out the flowers. “For you.”

A plastic container of water thrown at him nearly missed his head.

It made for a perfect vase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life gets in the way sometimes. And life will continue to do that. I will continue to write this. 
> 
> See you next time.


	5. Part 4: Secretary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was Administration Professionals Week. 
> 
> He forgot.

Sesshomaru usually did not take too much time to go through his emails. Most of the time he looked at the once or twice a week. Most were junk anyway, or they were replies from conversations he was not necessarily a part of, or—well, junk. He stopped on one email, which made him lean back in his chair for only a moment.

_“Happy Administrative Professionals Week!”_

He looked at the date the email was sent (Monday). Then he looked at the date on his computer.

It was Thursday.

How long did he not look at his emails?

He looked up from his computer to see his secretary sitting there, still doing her job without any fault. Sesshomaru leaned forward, hands to his chin, staring at his secretary without looking away.

He never forgot to get her anything for the week. One year, he got her a paperweight because he sometimes left the window open and the breeze would blow the papers on her desk off. She seemed to like it, and he still saw her use it. Another year, he noticed she was looking at different fountain pens online. She passed it off and said she just liked looking at the patterns, especially the ones with red floral patterns. When the week came, she was not at all surprised to find five different floral fountain pens delivered to her with ink to accompany them. Her appreciation of the pens (and her still using them) was enough gratitude to make him happy.

Why did he forget this year? Was it all the events happening in such a short span? It had only been a few months when he sort of stepped off his usual schedule and everything was a whirlwind to get. It did not help that those events threw off everything that seemed to be balanced. And now it was his—fourth visit? Fifth? He lost count, but it was another busy day in a not so busy town and he had to go to a not so busy flower shop because what else was he going to get her on such short notice?

It was not an excuse to go to the flower shop, he told himself. He sat at his desk for a good thirty to forty minutes coming up with gifts for his secretary. He kept it as proof, in case anyone doubted this (they wouldn’t, but he did not want to take the chance). No matter how many items he listed, he felt none of them would work. Plus, time was not on his side, and he was not going to pay a bunch of shipping fees for something that was probably not suited for his secretary anyway. The only item not scratched off his list? _Flowers_ , which was written right at the very top.

He hated how long he stared at the word before getting in his car to go.

A slam of his car door and a ring of a certain store bell later, there he was: _Kabloom!_

He just sighed when he saw a familiar face behind the counter.

**-x-**

Kagome, on the other hand, was staring at another order on her counter. It was another regular of hers (“It is our 25th anniversary next week, and I know she would love to see a bouquet of roses,” said the customer she loved to chat with). She tapped and tapped and tapped her pen against the glass. And she stared, and stared, and…stared. The order was due for the customer on Saturday, and while she knew it wouldn’t be done until tomorrow evening, she felt no motivation to even think about the order.

Her eyes rested on some word on the piece of paper, but she was not reading it. Her mind was elsewhere. If anyone said anything to her, she most likely would not have heard a single word of it. She tapped her pen some more, and more, and more—it was not annoying, at least to her. Maybe she did not have customers for the tapping. It was a slow click of the pen, and—okay, maybe it was scratching the glass a little bit, but Kagome continued to tap away, with her thoughts on something else—someone, really. Her and her stupid emotions, she thought, as her heart beat against her chest. 

She would shake the thoughts away and go back to focusing to the order—for maybe a minute. They were silly thoughts! _He seems so arrogant and pompous. Oh, look at me,_ (she tried to do an impression in his voice) _I’m mister businessman. I don’t have time for your small-town flower shop._ Kagome scratched her head and groaned. _He’s just a customer, Kagome. It's just anxiety to blame for how you feel, since he's new and all. You're just trying to get him to be a regular!_ So she would look at the piece of paper in front of her and think. And she’d think about roses for that straight minute before her mind wandered. _Isn’t the 25 th anniversary silver? _She hummed, and then went back to her own thoughts again, reminding herself of a new customer of the shop. _Although, he isn’t that bad to look at—_

Absentmindedly, she continued to tap the pen until a familiar ring happened in her store. Her policy was to always welcome someone to her shop whenever the bell rang, no matter what. She forewent the policy—just for the one time. It took a few seconds to register, but she started to lift her head toward the door (and yes, the pen did stop tapping). “Wel—” Kagome couldn’t even get a whole word out before someone was in front of her. She was looking right at someone’s suit-and-tie chest, and she saw was a glimpse of silver hair. Her head shot up to the customer. 

Sesshomaru stood in front of the counter. Yes, he was going to be very direct in this appointment and get out as soon as he could. He needed to deliver the flowers. That was his excuse. “I need flowers.” He watched as the woman he had been acquainted with—no, had done business with—was unprepared for such a demand. She did not seem to be busy.

Kagome, meanwhile, wished she would have been busy. She straightened her body and blinked once, twice, three—possibly four times—when he said those words. What were the odds of her thinking about him, and him suddenly appearing? _Is someone messing with me?_ Kagome was a little dumbstruck before opening her mouth.

“Uh…” she said, and the noise continued for a couple of seconds. _Oh wow, Kagome, that’s smooth_ , she thought. _Quick, idiot! Stop standing there like that!_ Kagome quickly closed her mouth and cleared her throat. Then, with a smile on her face: “Well, this is the best place for them!”

There was the beat again, one he felt the last time he was there. It would not overtake him, he thought. Sesshomaru sighed. “No, I mean I need a lot of flowers.” Well, probably not a lot, but if he wanted his secretary to continue to do exquisite work at his business, he figured “a lot” would do.

Kagome crossed her arms. “How many are we talking? Please do not say thirty centerpieces again.” She shivered at the thought, and at the pain of putting together those centerpieces. _Never again,_ she cried.

Sesshomaru felt no need for thirty centerpieces—the clean-up was a hassle—and did not need that many for his secretary. She did a well enough job; he did not want to inflate her ego more. He came up with the next best solution:

“As many as I can possibly fit into my car.”

Kagome peered around his body to see a black car in her lot. It was a nice car. It was also a car that could fit a lot of things in it. She blinked. “That’s a lot of flowers.” She hoped he was not serious in such an order, since it would be a lot of bouquets for one person. She looked back at him and a flurry of thoughts ran through her head. Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Mother? His work? Who were these flowers for?

_Why is that any of my business?_

He seemed to read her mind, as he just looked down at her. “They are for my secretary,” he said. For some reason, Kagome wanted to sigh in relief. An embarrassing move on her part, if she had actually done it. She kept her composure, though, and she looked up at him.

“Oh, is it her birthday?”

Sesshomaru shook his head. “No,” he started (although he did make a mental note to possibly get flowers for her birthday as well), “Administrative Professionals Week is this week.”

She may not have been in the business world too much (her knowledge of business was thanks to her degree, after all), but she had several schools and principals pay for bouquets for secretaries. Her first thought was why she had not seen any of them around ( _Are they on different schedules?_ ). She could not keep the second thought out of her mouth: “But today is Thursday.” It was one of the few times she saw him express emotion. And lo, she watched as he hung his head a little in shame. She was a little taken aback.

“Do not remind me.” He was not happy at the fact he was back at the flower shop, really. It took time out of his day to get flowers for someone he occasionally made small talk with, and he really was a busy man. At least, he thought he was. Kagome smiled at him and chuckled at the sight. A serious man in a serious role at a serious business—so ashamed and defeated. But, Kagome caught herself and quickly grabbed an order sheet. _She must be a fantastic woman_ , she thought.

In those moments, Sesshomaru watched the interesting woman in front of him. His heart did something every time he saw her smile, and he even heard a small laugh. And it did it again, the second time that day. He never felt anything like it—his life revolved around his work. He _really_ did not want to go to the flower shop again, and he will tell his secretary to find someone to do his errands if flowers were ever needed. Sesshomaru placed his hands on the counter and tapped ever so slightly against the glass. He needed a distraction, and possibly a drink.

Kagome cleared her throat once more—she felt the air get a little awkward. Was that the right word for it? She didn’t know; she just wanted a distraction. _A drink or two would be better_ , she thought. A click was heard. “Okay, well, what does she like?” She was ready to write.

And he was not ready for such a question. He thought for a moment before coming up with: “She likes the color red.”

She, in turn, sighed. “Okay,” didn’t this guy know anything about her? _I mean, the guy works with her every day, right?_ “Any _specific_ kind of flower?”

And, again, he was not ready to answer the question. Had he ever seen flowers on her desk before? He couldn’t recall a day where flowers were ever there. So, naturally, his response was: “No.”

 _Great!_ She glanced up from the paper, a little frustrated at the non-answers she was receiving. “Are you sure?” He, in turn, nodded. He felt bad for his answers when he heard her sigh once more and tap her pen against the paper. “Okay, well, it might be an hour before your bouquets are ready,” and she felt a little guilty for saying it. There he was, her new customer—new, _interesting_ customer—and she was making him wait for some bouquets. What did she get herself into? She scratched the back of her head, ashamed of it all. “Is that okay?”

He had no other choice. And he would not disappoint either woman. So he nodded. “That will do,” he said, and Kagome smiled up at him. The smile quickly went when realization hit her, and it was her turn to hold her head in shame:

“Uh, sorry. I do not have anywhere for you to sit.”

He sighed.

“It is fine.”

So, she went, and he stayed.

**-x-**

Time started to tick away. A small clock in the shop made the most noise while Kagome talked to herself about flowers and bouquets (“Okay, so maybe some camellias and carnations would work well…” as she scratched the flowers down on a piece of paper) and he just—observed. Sesshomaru watched the town walk by for the first couple of minutes, noting how many people walked by the small shop (three), how many of those looked in (one), and how many cars drove by (seven). It was quiet, but he seemed at peace with it all. It was a weird feeling.

So he turned his interests elsewhere after a while (before this happened, he did have to pay for the flowers; “Just so it’s all paid for,” she mumbled, and he obliged). He looked at the flowers for some time, too. Sesshomaru had no clue what some of the flowers were (some were labelled heathers?) and would have no idea what any of them meant. He always knew flowers had hidden meanings to them—roses, for example, he knew. But that was the extent of his knowledge. He did not have time to think of such things while in meetings, writing reports, letters, and emails—damn those emails anyway, he thought. He would make sure he would delegate all emails to his secretary.

Then his interest went to the other person in the shop. Sesshomaru watched again in interest at her working with flowers. It was art what she was doing. He had no idea where he would even begin if he had that kind of job, but she made it all look secondhand in nature. _No pun intended,_ he thought. It still felt he was invading on her privacy for even watching her make the bouquets—even though they were meant for him. Well, they were meant for his secretary, but he ordered them.

Still, he noticed how focused and serious she was when she arranged the flowers on the counter he leaned on. She did not seem to notice his presence, or she tried not to lose her thoughts when making the bouquets. There were already five when she was making another one. He could not help but watch her hands shuffle the stems of the flowers around, how she was comfortable moving the flowers to make the arrangements, and how her soft look made him feel at ease that she was the one working on the bouquets.

He hated his mind.

Sesshomaru heard her small humming when she was close to him and the flowers. He had no idea what song it was, but it seemed to fit the store and her work. He felt out of place in the shop, yet at the same time he felt comfortable enough to talk to her. Or, at least make a little bit of small talk.

Even he was surprised when he spoke: “What made you want to work in a floral shop?”

He thought it was a good question. It was only for small talk, that was all. He was not interested in her affairs, nor was he wanting to know more about her. Well, he told himself that, anyway. And he believed it.

The question made Kagome jump from her work and thoughts. She asked for him to repeat it, which he obliged. When she finally heard it, she smiled and leaned against the counter with him, arms crossed and proud. “Well, not just any floral shop, but my own!”

This, he thought, was not expected. He looked around the store again, letting the words sink in a little bit.

“You own this?”

It was not meant as an insult, and he hoped she would not take it as one (and she didn’t). He had not thought about her as the owner; she looked rather young for it. He assumed she was its part-time worker to get through college, or at least something to pay the bills. How wrong he was, he thought. He was pleasantly surprised, for once in his life, and she took it as the best compliment.

“Uh huh! And happily, too!” A few moments went by before Kagome realized silence filled the air. And when she looked up at Sesshomaru, she noticed he was looking at her with curiosity. Naturally, she felt awkward and shuffled in her spot. “Uh, to answer your original question though…” she started.

But she had to stand there for a moment to think about it. Like before, she had no real solid reason why she turned to flowers for her business after college. She just liked it, and that was really the only reason she could come up with. She hoped it was good enough. At least she was being honest: “I don’t know, I guess I’ve always liked flowers and gardening. It’s hard to explain, really.”

Sesshomaru watched as she turned back to the bouquets, head down, tying the flowers together and wrapping paper around them. _Interesting,_ he thought. It was, too. He felt the beat against his chest again, and he wondered what the feeling was. After his last visit, he thought long and hard about it. It did not keep him up at night, no, but the thoughts would come and go, much to his discretion. With the new information he was given by her, however, he came to realize it as he watched her work a little more:

He respected her.

“I see.”

**-x-**

Kagome needed a distraction, a drink, anything she could get so she didn’t have to think about the conversation that had transpired. Her thoughts were racing—how embarrassing to have such a dumb answer, she thought. How silly! She felt ashamed; that was the best she could come up with, after all these years of college and work? _I suck_ , she concluded. She couldn’t help but peak over at her customer next to her, as he stood there leaning against her counter. He seemed okay with the answer, so she let out a sigh of relief.

Then again, she still felt awkward. She hadn’t even asked him about his own life! All she knew was that he was a businessman, had a brother, a secretary, and little sister, and he had a nice car with silver hair to go with it all. She had to think of something. “S-So, uh,” Kagome stuttered, “What made you a businessman?”

_Great question, genius._

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow. “College, I presume.”

Kagome turned toward him, with a slight look of disgust on her face. “Okay, you know what I meant!” As she said it, she saw another emotion come from him: he was amused at the interaction. Sesshomaru had little time to be humorous at the office, especially with the people who worked for him. He had a persona to keep up. With her, he seemed relaxed enough to say the comment. It seemed to work with her.

Thinking on the question, though, he didn’t know how to answer. It was known he had no real answer for why he went into business. He, however, did not want to have doubts on why he went through college and classwork to get to where he was then. So, he chose one of the many reasons why he thought he went into business, and it was the more respectable answer. At least, it was in his mind.

His answer was straightforward, too: “My father always had high expectations for his sons, and I followed his word.”

While he spoke, Kagome just watched him. She assumed his pompous, arrogant personality was a result of him being in business. It could be part of it, but she thought about the father now she knew about from him. How serious was that guy, if Sesshomaru felt it was necessary to sort of follow in his footsteps? Had he always wanted to go into business? She felt a little out of place to ask more questions on the matter, so she turned back to her work with a small mutter:

“Oh.”

They went back to work.

**-x-**

The sun was setting outside when Sesshomaru heard her sigh. He caught her stretching and moaning from the hard work she did. And, really, he had no idea how she had the patience or motivation to do that many bouquets (twelve) in an hour’s time. Kagome wiped her forehead of the nonexistent sweat that formed. “Phew! That is a lot of flowers, Sesshomaru!” The amount of red that covered the counter could not be described. It was—red.

He could not deny that it was a lot. “It is indeed.”

“Well,” she turned to him again and smiled. He just stared, knowing the beat was of respect. “Thank you again for your business! I look forward to your next order. They always keep me on my toes.” They really did. She was always excited for a little challenge. _Maybe not another one for some time,_ she said, while she glanced down at her beat up hands from working that much. She would feel it in the morning; she was not looking forward to it.

Nonetheless, it was satisfying.

Sesshomaru just nodded at her comment. Maybe it would not be such a bad thing to make a visit again himself, if the situation ever arose. He could live with another drive to the town. Perhaps not in the next month, he thought to himself. He took a step forward toward Kagome, who quickly looked back up at Sesshomaru. He slightly bowed his head.

“Thank you again, Kagome.”

Her heart beat against her chest, and his to his own. It was one of the few times he said her name. She could feel her face get a little warm. Kagome leaned back and held up her hands, a smile on her face.

“Don’t sweat it!”

With the flowers in his arms, he heard the familiar ring of a bell above his head.

He went, and she stayed.

**-x-**

The following morning, there were large amounts of flowers covering her desk. She stood behind it while thinking about them all. It looked like a bloodbath covered the papers waiting for her to go through. She would have been a little worried, had it not been for the overwhelming smell that came from flowers. There was no doubt: they were beautiful, and very red. A small note was tucked away in one of the many bouquets in vases, and she plucked it out from them. She held it in her hand while she read it.

_Thank you for your hard work and being able to put up with my idiosyncrasies, Kagura. It is admirable._

She noticed the small signature from her boss. The handwriting was unfamiliar; she looked back at the flowers covering her desk, and she sighed.

“What an idiot.”

She couldn’t help but smile a little, though.

(He went back to work, satisfied. _Thank you._ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been in the midst of beginning to move, and I just came back from seeing my sister and her baby. I like to think Sesshomaru would joke with Kagome, even if it's for one line. That's my favorite part.
> 
> In case you do not know, Administrative Professionals Week is where you recognize secretaries, receptionists, and other administrative professionals and give them cards, lunches, flowers, whatever. It's a nice gesture. 
> 
> Until next time.


End file.
